This document is an excerpt from the EUR-Lex website
Document 02013D0798-20170310
Council Decision 2013/798/CFSP of 23 December 2013 concerning restrictive measures against the Central African Republic
Consolidated text: Council Decision 2013/798/CFSP of 23 December 2013 concerning restrictive measures against the Central African Republic
Council Decision 2013/798/CFSP of 23 December 2013 concerning restrictive measures against the Central African Republic
02013D0798 — EN — 10.03.2017 — 011.001
This text is meant purely as a documentation tool and has no legal effect. The Union's institutions do not assume any liability for its contents. The authentic versions of the relevant acts, including their preambles, are those published in the Official Journal of the European Union and available in EUR-Lex. Those official texts are directly accessible through the links embedded in this document
COUNCIL DECISION 2013/798/CFSP of 23 December 2013 concerning restrictive measures against the Central African Republic (OJ L 352 24.12.2013, p. 51) |
Amended by:
|
|
Official Journal |
||
No |
page |
date |
||
L 70 |
22 |
11.3.2014 |
||
L 183 |
57 |
24.6.2014 |
||
COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING DECISION 2014/863/CFSP of 1 December 2014 |
L 346 |
52 |
2.12.2014 |
|
COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING DECISION (CFSP) 2015/336 of 2 March 2015 |
L 58 |
79 |
3.3.2015 |
|
L 117 |
49 |
8.5.2015 |
||
COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING DECISION (CFSP) 2015/1488 of 2 September 2015 |
L 229 |
12 |
3.9.2015 |
|
COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING DECISION (CFSP) 2015/2459 of 23 December 2015 |
L 339 |
48 |
24.12.2015 |
|
COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING DECISION (CFSP) 2016/360 of 11 March 2016 |
L 67 |
53 |
12.3.2016 |
|
L 96 |
38 |
12.4.2016 |
||
COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING DECISION (CFSP) 2016/1446 of 31 August 2016 |
L 235 |
13 |
1.9.2016 |
|
L 63 |
102 |
9.3.2017 |
COUNCIL DECISION 2013/798/CFSP
of 23 December 2013
concerning restrictive measures against the Central African Republic
Article 1
1. The sale, supply, transfer or export of arms and related materiel of all types, including weapons and ammunition, military vehicles and equipment, paramilitary equipment, and spare parts for the aforementioned to the Central African Republic (‘CAR’) by nationals of Member States or from the territories of Member States or using their flag vessels or aircraft shall be prohibited whether originating or not in their territories.
2. It shall be prohibited:
(a) to provide technical assistance, brokering services and other services, including the provision of armed mercenary personnel, related to military activities and to the provision, manufacture, maintenance and use of arms and related materiel of all types, including weapons and ammunition, military vehicles and equipment, paramilitary equipment, and spare parts for the aforementioned, directly or indirectly, to any natural or legal person, entity or body in, or for use in the CAR;
(b) to provide financing or financial assistance related to military activities, including in particular grants, loans and export credit insurance, as well as insurance and reinsurance, for any sale, supply, transfer or export of arms and related materiel or for the provision of related technical assistance, brokering services and other services, directly or indirectly, to any person, entity or body in, or for use in the CAR;
(c) to participate, knowingly and intentionally, in activities the object or effect of which is to circumvent the prohibitions referred to in points (a) or (b).
Article 1a
Member States shall, upon discovery, seize, register and dispose of (such as through destruction, rendering inoperable, storage or transferring to a State other than the originating or destination States for disposal) items the supply, sale, transfer or export of which is prohibited under Article 1.
Article 2
Article 1 shall not apply to:
(a) the sale, supply, transfer or export of arms and related materiel, and the provision of related technical assistance or financing and financial assistance, intended solely for the support of or use by the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the CAR (‘Minusca’), the African Union Regional Task Force (‘AU-RTF’), and the Union missions and the French forces deployed in the CAR;
(b) the sale, supply, transfer or export of non-lethal equipment and provision of assistance, including operational and non-operational training to the CAR security forces, including State civilian law enforcement institutions, intended solely for support of or use in the CAR process of Security Sector Reform (‘SSR’), in coordination with Minusca, and as notified in advance to the Committee established pursuant to paragraph 57 of UNSCR 2127 (2013) (‘the Committee’);
(c) the sale, supply, transfer or export of arms and related materiel brought into the CAR by Chadian or Sudanese forces solely for their use in international patrols of the tripartite force established on 23 May 2011 in Khartoum by the CAR, Chad and Sudan, to enhance security in the common border areas, in cooperation with Minusca, as approved in advance by the Committee;
(d) the sale, supply, transfer or export of non-lethal military equipment intended solely for humanitarian or protective use, and related technical assistance or training, as approved in advance by the Committee;
(e) the sale, supply, transfer or export of protective clothing, including flak jackets and military helmets, temporarily exported to the CAR by United Nations personnel, personnel of the Union or its Member States, representatives of the media and humanitarian and development workers and associated personnel, for their personal use only;
(f) the sale, supply, transfer or export of small arms and other related equipment intended solely for use in international patrols providing security in the Sangha River Tri-national Protected Area to defend against poaching, smuggling of ivory and arms, and other activities contrary to the national laws of the CAR or the CAR's international legal obligations, as notified in advance to the Committee;
(g) the sale, supply, transfer or export of arms and other related lethal equipment to the CAR security forces, including State civilian law enforcement institutions, intended solely for support of or use in the CAR process of SSR, as approved in advance by the Committee; or
(h) other sale, supply, transfer or export of arms and related materiel, or provision of assistance or personnel, as approved in advance by the Committee.
Article 2a
1. Member States shall take the necessary measures to prevent the entry into, or transit through, their territories of the persons designated by the Committee as:
(a) engaging in or providing support for acts that undermine the peace, stability or security of the CAR, including acts that threaten or impede the stabilization and reconciliation process or that fuel violence;
(b) acting in violation of the arms embargo established in paragraph 54 of UNSCR 2127 (2013) and Article 1 of this Decision, or as having directly or indirectly supplied, sold, or transferred to armed groups or criminal networks in the CAR, or as having been the recipient of arms or any related materiel, or any technical advice, training, or assistance, including financing and financial assistance, related to violent activities of armed groups or criminal networks in the CAR;
(c) involved in planning, directing, or committing acts that violate international human rights law or international humanitarian law, as applicable, or that constitute human rights abuses or violations, in the CAR, including, targeting of civilians, ethnic- or religious-based attacks, attacks on schools and hospitals, and abduction and forced displacement;
(d) involved in planning, directing or committing acts involving sexual and gender-based violence in the CAR;
(e) recruiting or using children in armed conflict in the CAR, in violation of applicable international law;
(f) providing support for armed groups or criminal networks through the illicit exploitation or trade of natural resources, including diamonds, gold, wildlife as well as wildlife products in or from the CAR;
(g) obstructing the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the CAR, or access to, or distribution of, humanitarian assistance in the CAR;
(h) involved in planning, directing, sponsoring, or conducting attacks against United Nations missions or international security presences, including Minusca, the Union missions and French operations which support them;
(i) being leaders of an entity designated by the Committee, or having provided support to, or acted for or on behalf of, or at the direction of a person or an entity designated by the Committee, or an entity owned or controlled by a person or entity designated by the Committee,
as listed in the Annex to this Decision.
2. Paragraph 1 shall not oblige a Member State to refuse its own nationals entry into its territory.
3. Paragraph 1 shall not apply where entry or transit is necessary for the fulfilment of a judicial process.
4. Paragraph 1 shall not apply where the Committee determines, on a case-by-case basis, that:
(a) travel is justified on the grounds of humanitarian need, including religious obligation;
(b) an exemption would further the objectives of peace and national reconciliation in the CAR and regional stability.
5. In cases where, pursuant to paragraph 3 or 4, a Member State authorises the entry into, or transit through, its territory of a person listed in the Annex, the authorisation shall be limited to the purpose for which it was granted and to the person concerned thereby.
Article 2b
1. All funds and economic resources owned or controlled directly or indirectly by the persons and entities designated by the Committee and listed in the Annex as:
(a) engaging in or providing support for acts that undermine the peace, stability or security of the CAR, including acts that threaten or impede the stabilization and reconciliation process or that fuel violence;
(b) acting in violation of the arms embargo established in paragraph 54 of UNSCR 2127 (2013) and Article 1 of this Decision, or as having directly or indirectly supplied, sold, or transferred to armed groups or criminal networks in the CAR, or as having been the recipient of arms or any related materiel, or any technical advice, training, or assistance, including financing and financial assistance, related to violent activities of armed groups or criminal networks in the CAR;
(c) involved in planning, directing, or committing acts that violate international human rights law or international humanitarian law, as applicable, or that constitute human rights abuses or violations, in the CAR, including, targeting of civilians, ethnic- or religious-based attacks, attacks on schools and hospitals, and abduction and forced displacement;
(d) involved in planning, directing or committing acts involving sexual and gender-based violence in the CAR;
(e) recruiting or using children in armed conflict in the CAR, in violation of applicable international law;
(f) providing support for armed groups or criminal networks through the illicit exploitation or trade of natural resources, including diamonds, gold, wildlife as well as wildlife products in or from the CAR;
(g) obstructing the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the CAR, or access to, or distribution of, humanitarian assistance in the CAR;
(h) involved in planning, directing, sponsoring, or conducting attacks against United Nations missions or international security presences, including Minusca, the Union missions and French operations which support them;
(i) being leaders of an entity designated by the Committee, or having provided support to, or acted for or on behalf of, or at the direction of a person or an entity designated by the Committee, or an entity owned or controlled by a person or entity designated by the Committee,
shall be frozen.
2. No funds, financial assets or economic resources shall be made available, directly or indirectly, to or for the benefit of any person or entity referred to in paragraph 1.
3. A Member State may allow for exemptions from the measures referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 in respect of funds and economic resources which are:
(a) necessary for basic expenses, including payments for foodstuffs, rent or mortgage, medicines and medical treatment, taxes, insurance premiums, and public utility charges;
(b) intended exclusively for the payment of reasonable professional fees and the reimbursement of incurred expenses associated with the provision of legal services;
(c) intended exclusively for the payment of fees or service charges for routine holding or maintenance of frozen funds, other financial assets and economic resources;
after notification by the Member State concerned to the Committee of the intention to authorise, where appropriate, access to such funds and economic resources, and in the absence of a negative decision by the Committee within five working days of such notification.
4. A Member State may also allow for exemptions from the measures referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 in respect of funds and economic resources which are:
(a) necessary for extraordinary expenses, after notification by the Member State concerned to the Committee and approval by the latter;
(b) the subject of a judicial, administrative or arbitral lien or judgment, in which case the funds and economic resources may be used to satisfy that lien or judgment provided that the lien or judgment was entered into prior to 27 January 2017, and is not for the benefit of a person or entity referred to in this Article, after notification by the Member State concerned to the Committee.
5. Paragraph 1 shall not prevent a designated person or entity from making payment due under a contract entered into before the listing of such a person or entity, provided that the relevant Member State has determined that the payment is not directly or indirectly received by a person or entity referred to in paragraph 1 and after notification by the relevant Member State to the Committee of the intention to make or receive such payments or to authorise, where appropriate, the unfreezing of funds or economic resources for this purpose, 10 working days prior to such authorisation.
6. Paragraph 2 shall not apply to the addition to frozen accounts of:
(a) interest or other earnings on those accounts; or
(b) payments due under contracts, agreements or obligations that were concluded or that arose prior to the date on which those accounts became subject to restrictive measures under this Decision;
provided that any such interest, other earnings and payments continue to be subject to paragraph 1.
Article 2c
The Council shall establish the list in the Annex and shall amend it in accordance with determinations made by the United Nations Security Council or by the Committee.
Article 2d
1. Where the United Nations Security Council or the Committee designates a person or entity, the Council shall include that person or entity in the Annex. The Council shall communicate its decision, including the grounds for listing that person or entity, to the person or entity concerned, either directly, if the address is known, or through the publication of a notice, providing that person or entity with an opportunity to present observations.
2. Where observations are submitted, or where substantial new evidence is presented, the Council shall review its decision and inform the person or entity accordingly.
Article 2e
1. The Annex shall include the grounds for listing the persons and entities as provided by the United Nations Security Council or by the Committee.
2. The Annex shall also include, where available, information provided by the United Nations Security Council or by the Committee necessary to identify the persons or entities concerned. With regard to persons, such information may include names including aliases, the date and place of birth, nationality, passport and ID card numbers, gender, address, and function or profession. With regard to entities, such information may include names, the place and date of registration, registration number and place of business. The Annex shall also include the date of designation by the United Nations Security Council or by the Committee.
Article 3
This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
ANNEX
LIST OF PERSONS REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 2a AND OF PERSONS AND ENTITIES REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 2b
A. Persons
1. François Yangouvonda BOZIZÉ (alias: a) Bozize Yangouvonda)
Date of Birth: 14 October 1946.
Place of Birth: Mouila, Gabon.
Nationality: Central African Republic.
Address: Uganda.
Other information: Mother's name is Martine Kofio.
Date of UN designation: 9 May 2014.
Information from the narrative summary of reasons for listing provided by the Sanctions Committee:
Bozize was listed on 9 May 2014 pursuant to paragraph 36 of resolution 2134 (2014) as ‘engaging in or providing support for acts that undermine the peace, stability or security of CAR.’
Additional information
In liaison with his supporters, Bozize encouraged the attack of 5 December 2013 on Bangui. Since then, he has continued trying to run destabilization operations in order to maintain tensions in the capital of CAR. Bozize reportedly created the anti-Balaka militia group before he fled the CAR on March 24, 2013. In a communique, Bozize called on his militia to pursue the atrocities against the current regime and the Islamists. Bozize reportedly provided financial and material support to militiamen who are working to destabilize the ongoing transition and to bring Bozize back to power. The bulk of the anti-Balaka are from the Central African Armed Forces who dispersed into the countryside after the coup d'état and were subsequently reorganized by Bozize. Bozize and his supporters control more than half the anti-Balaka units.
Forces loyal to Bozize were armed with assault rifles, mortars and rocket-launchers and they have become increasingly involved in reprisal attacks against CAR's Muslim population. The situation in CAR deteriorated rapidly after the December 5, 2013 attack in Bangui by anti-Balaka forces that left over 700 people dead.
2. Nourredine ADAM (alias: a) Nureldine Adam; b) Nourreldine Adam; c) Nourreddine Adam; d) Mahamat Nouradine Adam)
Designation: a) General; b) Minister for Security; c) Director General of the ‘Extraordinary Committee for the Defence of Democratic Achievements’.
Date of birth: a) 1970 b) 1969 c) 1971 d) 1 January 1970.
Place of birth: Ndele, Central African Republic.
Nationality: Central African Republic. Passport no.: D00001184
Address: Birao, Central African Republic.
Date of UN designation: 9 May 2014
Information from the narrative summary of reasons for listing provided by the Sanctions Committee:
Nourredine was listed on 9 May 2014 pursuant to paragraph 36 of resolution 2134 (2014) as ‘engaging in or providing support for acts that undermine the peace, stability or security of CAR.’
Additional information
Noureddine is one of the original leaders of the Seleka. He has been identified as both a General and the President of one of the armed rebel groups of the Seleka, the Central PJCC, a group formally known as the Convention of Patriots for Justice and Peace and whose acronym is also acknowledged as CPJP. As former head of the ‘Fundamental’ splinter group of the Convention of Patriots for Justice and Peace (CPJP/F), he was the military coordinator of the ex-Séléka during offensives in the former rebellion in the Central African Republic between early December 2012 and March 2013. Without Noureddine's assistance and close relationship with Chadian Special Forces, the Seleka would likely have been unable to wrest power from former CAR President Francois Bozize.
Since the appointment as interim president of Catherine Samba-Panza on 20 January 2014, he was one of the main architects of the ex-Séléka's tactical withdrawal in Sibut with the aim of implementing his plan to create a Muslim stronghold in the north of the country. He had clearly urged his forces to resist the injunctions of the transitional government and of the military leaders of the African-led International Support Mission in the Central African Republic (MISCA). Noureddine actively directs ex-Seleka, the former Seleka forces that were reportedly dissolved by Djotodia in September 2013, and directs operations against Christian neighborhoods and continues to provide significant support and direction to the ex-Seleka operating in CAR.
Nourredine was also listed on 9 May 2014 pursuant to paragraph 37(b) of resolution 2134 (2014) as ‘involved in planning, directing, or committing acts that violate international human rights law or international humanitarian law, as applicable.’
Additional information
After the Séléka took control of Bangui on 24 March 2013, Nourredine Adam was appointed Minister for Security, then Director General of the ‘Extraordinary Committee for the Defence of Democratic Achievements’ (Comité extraordinaire de défense des acquis démocratiques- CEDAD, a now-defunct CAR intelligence service). Nourredine Adam used the CEDAD as his personal political police, carrying out many arbitrary arrests, acts of torture and summary executions. In addition, Noureddine was one of the key figures behind the bloody operation in Boy Rabe. In August 2013, Seleka forces stormed Boy Rabe, a CAR neighborhood regarded as a bastion of Francois Bozize supporters and his ethnic group. Under the pretext of looking for arms caches, Seleka troops reportedly killed scores of civilians and went on a rampage of looting. When these raids spread to other quarters, thousands of residents invaded the international airport, which was perceived as a safe place because of the presence of French troops, and occupied its runway.
Nourredine was also listed on 9 May 2014 pursuant to paragraph 37(d) of resolution 2134 (2014) as ‘providing support for armed groups or criminal networks through illegal exploitation of natural resources.’
Additional information
In early 2013, Nourredine Adam played an important role in the ex-Séléka's financing networks. He travelled to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to collect funds for the former rebellion. He also operated as a facilitator for a Chadian diamond-trafficking ring operating between the Central African Republic and Chad.
▼M4 —————
4. Alfred YEKATOM (alias: a) Alfred Yekatom Saragba b) Alfred Ekatom c) Alfred Saragba d) Colonel Rombhot e) Colonel Rambo f) Colonel Rambot g) Colonel Rombot h) Colonel Romboh)
Designation: Chief Corporal of the Forces Armées Centrafricaines (FACA)
Date of birth: 23 June 1976
Place of birth: Central African Republic
Nationality: Central African Republic
Address: a) Mbaiki, Lobaye Province, Central African Republic (Tel. +236 72 15 47 07/+236 75 09 43 41) b) Bimbo, Ombella-Mpoko province, Central African Republic (previous location)
Other information: Has controlled and commanded a large group of armed militia men. Father's name (adoptive father) is Ekatom Saragba (also spelled Yekatom Saragba). Brother of Yves Saragba, an anti-Balaka commander in Batalimo, Lobaye province, and a former FACA soldier. Physical description: eye colour: black; hair colour: bold; complexion: black; height: 170cm; weight 100kg. Photo available for inclusion in the INTERPOL-UN Security Council Special Notice.
Information from the narrative summary of reasons for listing provided by the Sanctions Committee:
Alfred Yekatom was listed on 20 August 2015 pursuant to paragraph 11 of resolution 2196 (2015) as ‘engaging in or providing support for acts that undermine the peace, stability or security of the CAR, including acts that threaten or violate transitional agreements, or that threaten or impede the political transition process, including a transition toward free and fair democratic elections, or that fuel violence.’
Additional information:
Alfred Yekatom, also known as Colonel Rombhot, is a militia leader of a faction of the anti-Balakas movement, known as the ‘anti-Balaka from the South’. He has held the rank of Chief Corporal in the Forces Armées Centrafricaines (FACA — Central African Republic armed forces).
Yekatom has engaged in and provided support for acts that undermine the peace, stability and security of the Central African Republic, including acts that threaten transitional agreements, and that threaten the political transition process. Yekatom has controlled and commanded a large group of armed militiamen with presence in the neighbourhood of PK9 in Bangui, and in the towns of Bimbo (Ombella-Mpoko province), Cekia, Pissa, and Mbaïki (capital of the Lobaye province), and had established his head-quarters in a forestry concession in Batalimo.
Yekatom has been in direct control of a dozen checkpoints manned by an average of ten armed militia men wearing army uniforms and carrying weapons, including military assault rifles, from the main bridge between Bimbo and Bangui to Mbaïki (Lobaye province), and from Pissa to Batalimo (next to the border with the Republic of Congo), collecting unauthorized taxes from private vehicles and motorcycles, passenger vans and trucks exporting forestry resources to Cameroon and Chad, but also from boats navigating on the Oubangui river. Yekatom has been observed personally collecting part of these unauthorized taxes. Yekatom and his militia have also reportedly killed civilians.
5. Habib SOUSSOU (alias: Soussou Abib)
Designation: a) Coordinator of anti-Balaka for Lobaye province b) Corporal of the Central African Armed Forces (FACA)
Date of birth: 13 Mar. 1980
Рlace of birth: Boda, Central African Republic
Nationality: Central African Republic Address: Boda, Central African Republic (Tel. +236 72198628)
Other information: Appointed as zone commander (COMZONE) of Boda on 11 April 2014 and on 28 June 2014, for the entire Lobaye Province. Under his command, targeted killings, clashes and attacks against humanitarian organizations and aid workers have continued to take place. Physical description: eye colour: brown; hair colour: black; height: 160cm; weight: 60kg. Photo available for inclusion in the INTERPOL-UN Security Council Special Notice.
Information from the narrative summary of reasons for listing provided by the Sanctions Committee:
Habib Soussou was listed on 20 August 2015 pursuant to paragraphs 11 and 12 (b) and (e) of resolution 2196 (2015) as ‘engaging in or providing support for acts that undermine the peace, stability or security of the CAR, including acts that threaten or violate transitional agreements, or that threaten or impede the political transition process, including a transition toward free and fair democratic elections, or that fuel violence;’‘involved in planning, directing, or committing acts that violate international human rights law or international humanitarian law, as applicable, or that constitute human rights abuses or violations, in the CAR, including acts involving sexual violence, targeting of civilians, ethnic- or religious-based attacks, attacks on schools and hospitals, and abduction and forced displacement’ and; ‘obstructing the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the CAR, or access to, or distribution of, humanitarian assistance in the CAR.’
Additional information:
Habib Soussou was appointed as anti-Balaka zone commander (COMZONE) of Boda on 11 April 2014, and he has claimed that he was therefore responsible for the security situation in the sous- préfecture. On 28 June 2014, general coordinator of the anti-Balaka Patrice Edouard Ngaïssona appointed Habib Soussou as provincial coordinator for the town of Boda since 11 April 2014 and since 28 June 2014 for the entire province of Lobaye. Targeted killings, clashes and attacks by anti-Balaka in Boda against humanitarian organizations and aid workers have occurred on a weekly basis in areas for which Soussou is the anti-Balaka commander or coordinator. Soussous and the anti-Balaka forces in these areas have also targeted and threatened to target civilians.
6. |
Oumar YOUNOUS ABDOULAY (alias: (a) Oumar Younous; (b) Omar Younous; (c) Oumar Sodiam; (d) Oumar Younous M'Betibangui). Designation: Former Séléka general. Date of birth: 2 April 1970. Nationality: Sudan, CAR diplomatic passport No D00000898, issued on 11 April 2013 (valid until 10 April 2018). Address: (a) Bria, Central African Republic (Tel. +236 75507560); (b) Birao, Central African Republic; (c) Tullus, southern Darfur, Sudan (previous location). Other information: is a diamond smuggler and a three-star general of the Séléka and close confident of former CAR interim president Michel Djotodia. Physical description: hair colour: black; height: 180 cm; belongs to the Fulani ethnic group. Photo available for inclusion in the Interpol-UN Security Council Special Notice. Reportedly deceased as at 11 October 2015. Date of UN designation: 20 August 2015 (amended on 20 October 2015). Information from the narrative summary of reasons for listing provided by the Sanctions Committee: Oumar Younous was listed on 20 August 2015 pursuant to paragraphs 11 and 12(d) of Resolution 2196 (2015) as ‘engaging in or providing support for acts that undermine the peace, stability or security of the CAR, including acts that threaten or violate transitional agreements, or that threaten or impede the political transition process, including a transition toward free and fair democratic elections, or that fuel violence;’ and ‘providing support for armed groups or criminal networks through the illicit exploitation or trade of natural resources, including diamonds, gold, and wildlife as well as wildlife products, in the CAR’. Additional information: Oumar Younous, as a general of the former Séléka and a diamond smuggler, has provided support to an armed group through the illicit exploitation and trade of natural resources, including diamonds, in the Central African Republic. In October 2008, Oumar Younous, a former driver for the diamond buying house Sodiam, joined the rebel group Mouvement des Libérateurs Centrafricains pour la Justice (MLCJ). In December 2013, Oumar Younous was identified as being a three-star general of the Séléka and close confidant of interim president Michel Djotodia. Younous is involved in the diamond trade from Bria and Sam Ouandja to Sudan. Sources have reported that Oumar Younous has been engaged in collecting diamond parcels hidden in Bria, and taking them to Sudan for sale. |
7. |
Haroun GAYE (alias: (a) Haroun Geye; (b) Aroun Gaye; (c) Aroun Geye). Designation: Rapporteur of the political coordination of the Front Populaire pour la Renaissance de Centrafrique (FPRC). Date of birth: (a) 30 January 1968; (b) 30 January 1969. Passport No: Central African Republic number O00065772 (letter O followed by 3 zeros), expires 30 December 2019. Address: Bangui, Central African Republic. Listed on: 17 December 2015. Information from the narrative summary of reasons for listing provided by the Sanctions Committee: Haroun Gaye was listed on 17 December 2015 pursuant to paragraphs 11 and 12(b) and (f) of Resolution 2196 (2015) as ‘engaging in or providing support for acts that undermine the peace, stability or security of the CAR’; ‘involved in planning, directing, or committing acts that violate international human rights law or international humanitarian law, as applicable, or that constitute human rights abuses or violations, in the CAR, including acts involving sexual violence, targeting of civilians, ethnic- or religious-based attacks, attacks on schools and hospitals, and abduction and forced displacement;’ and ‘involved in planning, directing, sponsoring, or conducting attacks against UN missions or international security presences, including Minusca, the European Union missions and French operations which support them.’ Additional information: Haroun Gaye has been, since early 2014, one of the leaders of an armed group operating in the PK5 neighbourhood in Bangui. Civil Society representatives of the PK5 neighbourhood state that Gaye and his armed group are fuelling the conflict in Bangui, opposing the reconciliation and preventing movements of population to and from the third district of Bangui. On 11 May 2015, Gaye and 300 demonstrators blocked access to the National Transitional Council to disrupt the final day of the Bangui Forum. Gaye is reported to have collaborated with anti-Balaka officials to coordinate the disruption. On 26 June 2015, Gaye and a small entourage disrupted the opening of a voter registration drive in Bangui's PK5 neighbourhood, causing the registration drive to close. Minusca attempted to arrest Gaye on 2 August 2015, in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 32(f)(i) of the Security Council Resolution 2217 (2015). Gaye, who was reportedly informed of the arrest attempt in advance, was ready with supporters armed with heavy weaponry. Gaye's forces opened fire on the Minusca Joint Task Force. In a seven-hour firefight, Gaye's men employed firearms, and rocket-propelled and hand grenades against Minusca troops and killed one peacekeeper and injured eight. Gaye was involved in encouraging violent protests and clashes in late September 2015 in what appears to have been a coup attempt to overthrow the Transitional Government. The coup attempt was likely led by former president Bozize's supporters in an alliance of convenience with Gaye and other FPRC leaders. It appears that Gaye aimed to create a cycle of retaliatory attacks that would threaten the upcoming elections. Gaye was in charge of coordination with marginalised elements of the anti-Balaka. On 1 October 2015, a meeting took place in the PK5 neighbourhood between Eugène Barret Ngaïkosset, a member of a marginalised anti-Balaka group and Gaye, with the aim of planning a joint attack on Bangui on Saturday 3 October. Gaye's group prevented people inside the PK5 neighbourhood from leaving it, in order to reinforce the communal identity of the Muslim population to exacerbate inter-ethnic tensions and avoid reconciliation. On 26 October 2015, Gaye and his group interrupted a meeting between the Archbishop of Bangui and the Imam of the Central Mosque of Bangui, and threatened the delegation which had to retreat from the Central Mosque and flee the PK5 neighbourhood. |
8. |
Eugène BARRET NGAÏKOSSET (alias: (a) Eugene Ngaikosset; (b) Eugene Ngaikoisset; (c) Eugene Ngakosset; (d) Eugene Barret Ngaikosse; (e) Eugene Ngaikouesset; low-quality alias.: (f) ‘The Butcher of Paoua’; (g) Ngakosset) Designation: (a) Former Captain, CAR Presidential Guard; (b) Former Captain, CAR Naval Forces. National identification No: Central African Republic armed forces (FACA) military identification number 911-10-77. Address: (a) Bangui, Central African Republic. Listed on: 17 December 2015. Other information: Captain Eugène Barret Ngaïkosset is a former member of former President François Bozizé's (CFi.001) presidential guard and associated with the anti-Balaka movement. He escaped from jail on 17 May 2015 following his extradition from Brazzaville and created his own anti-Balaka faction including former FACA fighters. Information from the narrative summary of reasons for listing provided by the Sanctions Committee: Eugène Barret Ngaïkosset was listed on 17 December 2015 pursuant to paragraphs 11 and 12(b) and (f) of Resolution 2196 (2015) as ‘engaging in or providing support for acts that undermine the peace, stability or security of the CAR;’‘involved in planning, directing, or committing acts that violate international human rights law or international humanitarian law, as applicable, or that constitute human rights abuses or violations, in the CAR, including acts involving sexual violence, targeting of civilians, ethnic- or religious-based attacks, attacks on schools and hospitals, and abduction and forced displacement;’ and ‘involved in planning, directing, sponsoring, or conducting attacks against UN missions or international security presences, including Minusca, the European Union missions and French operations which support them.’ Additional information: Ngaïkosset is one of the main perpetrators of the violence which erupted in Bangui in late September 2015. Ngaïkosset and other anti-Balaka worked together with marginalised members of ex-Séléka in an effort to destabilise the CAR Transitional Government. On the night of 27-28 September 2015, Ngaïkosset and others made an unsuccessful attempt to storm the ‘Izamo’ gendarmerie camp in order to steal weapons and ammunition. On 28 September, the group surrounded the offices of CAR national radio. On 1 October 2015, a meeting took place in the PK5 neighbourhood between Ngaïkosset and Haroun Gaye, a leader of the Front Populaire pour la Renaissance de Centrafrique (FPRC), with the aim of planning a joint attack on Bangui on Saturday 3 October. On 8 October, 2015, the CAR Justice Minister announced plans to investigate Ngaïkosset and other individuals for their roles in the September 2015 violence in Bangui. Ngaikosset and the others were named as being involved in ‘egregious behaviour constituting a breach of the internal security of the state, conspiracy, incitement to civil war, civil disobedience, hatred and complicity.’ CAR legal authorities were instructed to open an investigation to search for and arrest the perpetrators and accomplices. On 11 October 2015, Ngaïkosset is believed to have asked anti-Balaka militia under his command to carry out kidnappings, with a particular focus on French nationals, but also CAR political figures and UN officials, with the aim of forcing the departure of the transitional President, Catherine Samba-Panza. |
9. |
Joseph KONY (Alias: a) Kony b) Joseph Rao Kony c) Josef Kony d) Le Messie sanglant) Designation: Commander of the Lord's Resistance Army Date of birth: a) 1959 b) 1960 c) 1961 d) 1963 e) 18 Sep. 1964 f) 1965 g) (Aug. 1961) h) (Jul. 1961) i) 1 Jan. 1961 j) (Apr. 1963) Place of birth: a) Palaro Village, Palaro Parish, Omoro County, Gulu District, Uganda b) Odek, Omoro, Gulu, Uganda c) Atyak, Uganda Nationality: Uganda Passport Address: a) Vakaga, Central African Republic b) Haute-Kotto, Central African Republic c) Basse-Kotto, Central African Republic d) Haut-Mbomou, Central African Republic e) Mbomou, Central African Republic f) Haut-Uolo, Democratic Republic of the Congo g) Bas-Uolo, Democratic Republic of the Congo h) (Reported address: Kafia Kingi (a territory on the border of Sudan and South Sudan whose final status has yet to be determined). As of January 2015, 500 Lord's Resistance Army elements were reportedly expelled from the Sudan.) Listed on: 7 March 2016. Other information: Kony is the founder and leader of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) (CFe.002). Under his leadership, the LRA has engaged in the abduction, killing, and mutilation of thousands of civilians across Central Africa. The LRA has been responsible for kidnapping, displacing, committing sexual violence against, and killing hundreds of individuals across CAR, and has looted and destroyed civilian property. Father's name is Luizi Obol. Mother's name is Nora Obol. Information from the narrative summary of reasons for listing provided by the Sanctions Committee: Joseph Kony was listed on 7 March 2016 pursuant to paragraphs 12 and 13 (b), (c), and (d) of resolution 2262 (2016) as ‘engaging in or providing support for acts that undermine the peace, stability or security of the CAR;’, ‘involved in planning, directing, or committing acts that violate international human rights law or international humanitarian law, as applicable, or that constitute human rights abuses or violations, in the CAR, including acts involving sexual violence, targeting of civilians, ethnic- or religious-based attacks, attacks on schools and hospitals, and abduction and forced displacement;’, ‘recruiting or using children in armed conflict in the CAR, in violation of applicable international law;’ and ‘providing support for armed groups or criminal networks through the illicit exploitation or trade of natural resources, including diamonds, gold, and wildlife products in or from the CAR.’ Additional information: Kony founded the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and has been described as the group's founder, religious leader, chairman, and commander-in-chief. Emerging in northern Uganda in the 1980s, the LRA engaged in the abduction, killing, and mutilation of thousands of civilians across central Africa. Under increasing military pressure, Kony ordered the LRA to withdraw from Uganda in 2005 and 2006. Since then, the LRA has been operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), CAR, South Sudan and reportedly Sudan. Kony, as the leader of the LRA, devises and implements LRA strategy, including standing orders to attack and brutalize civilian populations. Since December 2013, the LRA under the leadership of Joseph Kony has kidnapped, displaced, committed sexual violence against, and killed hundreds of individuals across CAR, and has looted and destroyed civilian property. Concentrated in eastern CAR and reportedly in Kafia Kingi, a territory on the border of Sudan and South Sudan whose final status has yet to be determined but militarily controlled by the former, the LRA raids villages to pillage food and supplies. The fighters set ambushes to attack security forces and steal their equipment when they respond to LRA attacks, and LRA fighters also target and loot villages that do not have a military presence. The LRA has also intensified attacks on diamond and gold mining sites. Kony is subject to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court. The ICC has charged him with twelve counts of crimes against humanity including murder, enslavement, sexual enslavement, rape, inhumane acts of inflicting serious bodily injury and suffering, and twenty-one counts of war crimes including murder, cruel treatment of civilians, intentionally directing an attack against a civilian population, pillaging, inducing rape, and enlisting, through abduction, of children under the age of 15 years. Kony has issued standing orders for rebel fighters to loot diamonds and gold from artisanal miners in eastern Central African Republic. Reportedly, some of the minerals are then transported by Kony's group to Sudan, or traded with local civilians and members of the former Séléka. Kony has also instructed his fighters to poach elephants in the Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, from where elephant tusks are reportedly transported through the east of the Central African Republic to Sudan, where senior LRA officials reportedly sell and trade with Sudanese merchants and local officials. The trade of ivory represents a significant source of income for Kony's group. As of January 2015, 500 Lord's Resistance Army elements were reportedly expelled from the Sudan. |
10. |
Ali KONY (Alias: a) Ali Lalobo b) Ali Mohammad Labolo c) Ali Mohammed d) Ali Mohammed Lalobo e) Ali Mohammed Kony f) Ali Mohammed Labola g) Ali Mohammed Salongo h) Ali Bashir Lalobo i) Ali Lalobo Bashir j) Otim Kapere k) ‘Bashir’ l) ‘Caesar’ m) ‘One-P’ n) ‘1-P’ Designation: Deputy, Lord's Resistance Army Date of birth: a) 1994 b) 1993 c) 1995 d) 1992 Address: Kafia Kingi (a territory on the border of Sudan and South Sudan whose final status has yet to be determined). Listed on: 23 August 2016. Other information: Ali Kony is a deputy in the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) (CFe.002), a designated entity and the son of LRA leader Joseph Kony (CFi.009), a designated individual. Ali was incorporated into the LRA's leadership hierarchy in 2010. He is part of a group of senior LRA officers who are based with Joseph Kony. Information from the narrative summary of reasons for listing provided by the Sanctions Committee: Ali Kony was listed on 23 August 2016 pursuant to paragraphs 12 and 13 (d) and (g) of Resolution 2262 (2016) as ‘engaging in or providing support for acts that undermine the peace, stability or security of the CAR;’‘providing support for armed groups or criminal networks through the illicit exploitation or trade of natural resources, including diamonds, gold, wildlife as well as wildlife products in or from the CAR;’‘Being leaders of an entity that the Committee has designated pursuant to paragraphs 36 or 37 of Resolution 2134 (2014) or this resolution or having provided support to, or acted for or on behalf of, or at the direction of, an individual or an entity that the Committee has designated pursuant to paragraphs 36 or 37 of Resolution 2134 (2014) or this resolution, or an entity owned or controlled by a designated individual or entity.’ Ali Kony is seen as a potential successor to Joseph Kony as leader of the LRA. Ali is increasingly involved in LRA operational planning and is seen as a gateway to Joseph Kony. Ali is also an LRA intelligence officer with command of up to 10 subordinates. Ali and his brother Salim Kony have both been responsible for enforcing discipline within the LRA. Both brothers are acknowledged to be part of Joseph Kony's leadership inner-circle, responsible for the execution of Kony's orders. The two have made disciplinary decisions to punish or kill LRA members who have disobeyed LRA rules. Based on orders from Joseph Kony, Salim and Ali are involved in trafficking ivory from northern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)'s Garamba National Park through the Central African Republic (CAR) to the disputed region of Kafia Kingi for sale or trade with local merchants. Ali Kony is responsible for negotiating ivory prices and bartering the ivory with the merchants. Ali meets once or twice a month with merchants to negotiate the price of the LRA's ivory in U.S. dollars or Sudanese pounds, or to trade for weapons, ammunition, and food. Joseph Kony has ordered Ali to use the largest tusks to purchase anti-personnel mines to surround Kony's camp. In July 2014, Ali Kony oversaw the operation to move 52 pieces of ivory for delivery to Joseph Kony and ultimate sale. In April 2015, Salim departed Kafia Kingi to retrieve a shipment of tusks. In May, Salim participated in the transport of 20 pieces of ivory from DRC to Kafia Kingi. Around the same time, Ali met with the merchants to purchase supplies and to plan a future meeting to conduct additional transactions and to agree to terms of purchase on the LRA's behalf for what is assessed to be the ivory that Salim was escorting. Related listed individuals and entities: Joseph Kony, listed on 7 March 2016 Salim Kony, listed on 23 August 2016 Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), listed on 7 March 2016 |
11. |
Salim KONY (Alias: a) Salim Saleh Kony b) Salim Saleh c) Salim Ogaro d) Okolu Salim e) Salim Saleh Obol Ogaro f) Simon Salim Obol) Designation: Deputy, Lord's Resistance Army Date of Birth: a) 1992 b) 1991 c) 1993 Address: a) Kafia Kingi (a territory on the border of Sudan and South Sudan whose final status has yet to be determined) b) Central African Republic Listed on: 23 August 2016 Other information: Salim Kony is a deputy in the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) (CFe.002), a designated entity and the son of LRA leader Joseph Kony (CFi.009), a designated individual. Salim was incorporated into the LRA's leadership hierarchy in 2010. He is part of a group of senior LRA officers who are based with Joseph Kony. Information from the narrative summary of reasons for listing provided by the Sanctions Committee: Salim Kony was listed on 23 August 2016 pursuant to paragraphs 12 and 13 (d) and (g) of Resolution 2262 (2016) as ‘engaging in or providing support for acts that undermine the peace, stability or security of the CAR;’‘providing support for armed groups or criminal networks through the illicit exploitation or trade of natural resources, including diamonds, gold, wildlife as well as wildlife products in or from the CAR;’‘Being leaders of an entity that the Committee has designated pursuant to paragraphs 36 or 37 of Resolution 2134 (2014) or this resolution, or having provided support to, or acted for or on behalf of, or at the direction of, an individual or an entity that the Committee has designated pursuant to paragraphs 36 or 37 of Resolution 2134 (2014) or this resolution, or an entity owned or controlled by a designated individual or entity.’ Salim Kony is the head commander of the LRA's ‘field headquarters’ and has jointly planned LRA attacks and defensive measures with Joseph Kony since an early age. Previously, Salim led the group which provides security for Joseph Kony. More recently, Joseph Kony has entrusted Salim with managing the LRA's financial and logistical networks. Salim and his brother Ali Kony have both been responsible for enforcing discipline within the LRA. Both brothers are acknowledged as members of Joseph Kony's leadership inner-circle, who are responsible for executing Joseph Kony's orders. The two have made disciplinary decisions to punish or kill LRA members who have disobeyed LRA rules. Salim is reported to have killed LRA members who intended to defect, and has reported LRA group and member activities to Joseph Kony. Based on orders from Joseph Kony, Salim and Ali are involved with the trafficking of ivory from northern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)'s Garamba National Park through the Central African Republic (CAR) to the disputed region of Kafia Kingi for sale or trade with local merchants. Salim often deploys to the CAR border with approximately a dozen fighters to meet and escort other LRA groups carrying ivory north from Garamba. In April 2015, Salim departed Kafia Kingi to retrieve a shipment of tusks. In May, Salim participated in the transport of twenty pieces of ivory from DRC to Kafia Kingi. Previously, in June 2014, Salim crossed into the DRC with a group of LRA fighters to poach elephants in Garamba. Joseph Kony had also tasked Salim with escorting two LRA commanders to Garamba to uncover caches of ivory that had been hidden there years earlier. In July 2014, Salim met with a second LRA group to transport the ivory, 52 pieces in all, to Kafia Kingi. Salim was responsible for maintaining ivory accountability to Joseph Kony and for passing information about ivory transactions to LRA groups. Related listed individuals and entities: Joseph Kony, listed on 7 March 2016 Ali Kony, listed on 23 August 2016 Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), listed on 7 March 2016 |
B. Entities
1. BUREAU D'ACHAT DE DIAMANT EN CENTRAFRIQUE/KARDIAM (Alias: a) BADICA/KRDIAM b) KARDIAM)
Address: a) BP 333, Bangui, Central African Republic (Tel. +32 3 2310521, Fax. +32 3 2331839, email: kardiam.bvba@skvnet·be: website: www.groupeabdoulkarim.com) b) Antwerp, Belgium
Other Information: Headed by Abdoul-Karim Dan-Azoumi, since 12 December 1986 and by Aboubaliasr Mahamat, since 1 January 2005. Branches include MINAiR, and SOFIA TP (Douala, Cameroon).
Information from the narrative summary of reasons for listing provided by the Sanctions Committee:
The Bureau d'achat de Diamant en Centrafrique/KARDIAM was listed on 20 August 2015 pursuant to paragraph 12 (d) of resolution 2196 (2015) as ‘providing support for armed groups or criminal networks through the illicit exploitation or trade of natural resources, including diamonds, gold, as well as wildlife and wildlife products, in the CAR’
Additional information:
BADICA/KARDIAM has provided support for armed groups in the Central African Republic, namely former Séléka and anti-Balaka, through the illicit exploitation and trade of natural resources, including diamonds and gold.
The Bureau d'Achat de Diamant en Centrafrique (BADICA) continued in 2014 to purchase diamonds from Bria and Sam-Ouandja (Haute Kotto province) in the east of the Central African Republic, where former Séléka forces impose taxes on aircraft transporting diamonds and receive security payments from diamond collectors. Several of BADICA's supplying collectors in Bria and Sam-Ouandja are closely associated with former Séléka commanders.
In May 2014, Belgian authorities seized two diamond parcels sent to BADICA's representation in Antwerp, which is officially registered in Belgium as KARDIAM. Diamond experts assessed that the diamonds seized have a high probability to be of Central African origin, and that they display characteristics typical of Sam-Ouandja and Bria, as well as Nola (Sangha Mbaéré province), in the south west of the country.
Traders who were purchasing diamonds illegally trafficked from Central African Republic to foreign markets, including from the western part of the country, have operated in Cameroon on behalf of BADICA.
In May 2014, BADICA also exported gold produced in Yaloké (Ombella-Mpoko), where artisanal gold mines fell under control of Séléka until the beginning of February 2014, when anti-Balakagroups took over.
2. LORD'S RESISTANCE ARMY (Alias: a) LRA b) Lord's Resistance Movement (LRM) c) Lord's Resistance Movement/Army (LRM/A)
Address: a) Vakaga, Central African Republic b) Haute-Kotto, Central African Republic c) Basse-Kotto, Central African Republic d) Haut-Mbomou, Central African Republic e) Mbomou, Central African Republic f) HautUolo, Democratic Republic of the Congo g) Bas-Uolo, Democratic Republic of the Congo h) (Reported address: Kafia Kingi (a territory on the border of Sudan and South Sudan whose final status has yet to be determined). As of January 2015, 500 Lord's Resistance Army elements were reportedly expelled from the Sudan.)
Listed on: 7 March 2016.
Other Information: Emerged in northern Uganda in the 1980s. Has engaged in the abduction, killing and mutilation of thousands of civilians in Central Africa, including hundreds in the Central African Republic. The leader is Joseph Kony.
Information from the narrative summary of reasons for listing provided by the Sanctions Committee:
The Lord's Resistance Army was listed on 7 March 2016 pursuant to paragraphs 12 and 13 (b), (c), and (d) of resolution 2262 (2016) as ‘engaging in or providing support for acts that undermine the peace, stability or security of the CAR;’, ‘involved in planning, directing, or committing acts that violate international human rights law or international humanitarian law, as applicable, or that constitute human rights abuses or violations, in the CAR, including acts involving sexual violence, targeting of civilians, ethnic- or religious-based attacks, attacks on schools and hospitals, and abduction and forced displacement;’, ‘recruiting or using children in armed conflict in the CAR, in violation of applicable international law;’ and ‘providing support for armed groups or criminal networks through the illicit exploitation or trade of natural resources, including diamonds, gold, and wildlife products in or from the CAR.’
Additional information:
Emerging in northern Uganda in the 1980s, the LRA has engaged in the abduction, killing, and mutilation of thousands of civilians across central Africa. Under increasing military pressure, Joseph Kony, the LRA's leader, ordered the LRA to withdraw from Uganda in 2005 and 2006. Since then, the LRA has been operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), CAR, South Sudan and reportedly Sudan.
Since December 2013, the LRA has kidnapped, displaced, committed sexual violence against, and killed hundreds of individuals across CAR, and has looted and destroyed civilian property. Concentrated in eastern CAR and reportedly in Kafia Kingi, a territory on the border of Sudan and South Sudan whose final status has yet to be determined but militarily controlled by the former, the LRA raids villages to pillage food and supplies. The fighters set ambushes to attack security forces and steal their equipment when they respond to LRA attacks, and LRA fighters also target and loot villages that do not have a military presence. The LRA has also intensified attacks on diamond and gold mining sites.
LRA cells are frequently accompanied by captives who are forced to work as porters, cooks, and sex slaves. The LRA engages in gender-based violence including rapes of women and young girls.
In December 2013, the LRA abducted dozens of people in Haute-Kotto. The LRA is reported to have been involved in the abductions of hundreds of civilians in CAR since the beginning of 2014.
LRA fighters attacked Obo, in eastern CAR's Haut-Mbomou Prefecture, on several occasions in early 2014.
The LRA continued to carry out attacks in Obo and other locations in southeastern CAR between May and July 2014, including apparently coordinated attacks and abductions in Mbomou Prefecture in early June.
Since at least 2014, the LRA has been involved in elephant poaching and elephant trafficking for revenue generation. The LRA reportedly traffics ivory from Garamba National Park in northern DRC to Darfur, to trade for weapons and supplies. The LRA reportedly transports poached elephant tusks through CAR into Darfur, Sudan to sell. Additionally, as of early 2014, Kony had reportedly ordered LRA fighters to loot diamonds and gold from miners in eastern CAR for transport to Sudan. As of January 2015, 500 Lord's Resistance Army elements were reportedly expelled from the Sudan.
In early February 2015, LRA fighters armed with heavy weapons abducted civilians in Kpangbayanga, Haut-Mbomou, and stole food items.
On April 20, 2015, an LRA attack and the abduction of children from Ndambissoua, southeastern CAR led most of the village residents to flee. And in early July 2015, the LRA attacked several villages in southern Haute-Kotto Prefecture; the attacks involved looting, violence against civilians, burning of houses, and kidnapping.
Since January 2016, attacks imputed to the LRA have multiplied in Mbomou, Haut-Mbomou and Haute-Kotto affecting in particular mining areas in Haute-Kotto. These attacks have involved looting, violence against civilians, destruction of property and abductions. They have led to displacements of the population, including around 700 people who have sought refuge in Bria.